AXIS

AXIS

AXIS is a contemporary illustrator/working class fine artist who emerged from Los Angeles’ seminal graffiti scene in the 1980s. He is most noted for his convoluted and hyper-stylized freehand characters.

As a child, Axis moved from London to Los Angeles with his family and developed a number of musical and artistic influences including Mozart, Black Sabbath, Frank Frazetta, Rick Griffin, Black Flag, Norman Rockwell, and even Monty Python’s Flying Circus. An early convert to skateboarding and punk rock, Axis began experimenting with graffiti art in 1985, and joined L.A.’s legendary CBS Crew in 1988. By the mid-90’s he had cemented his reputation as one of the most prolific street artists working in Los Angeles. Though his career has largely unfolded outside of the graffiti landscape, his skate-punk origins continue to shape his engorged aesthetic and politicized black humor.

In addition to his artwork, Axis is also widely known as a musician. Having received formal music training (harpsichord, cello, piano) at a young age, Axis formed Los Angeles hard-core/Metal band “The Pain” (lead guitarist, songwriter) in 2004. He has recorded two full-length albums and has toured Europe and the United States.

Axis lives in Los Angeles, California where he continues to paint, and play music everyday. And he skates when he can.